Coined By Shakespeare When you hear a word, don’t you ever wonder where the birthplace of the word is? According to Jeffrey McQuain in the book Coined By Shakespeare, many of the words you hear were coined by Shakespeare. Shakespeare made words called, neologisms. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. An example of a neologism is the word birthplace in the play "Coriolanus", one of his less known plays. In one of the most famous of his plays, "Mid Summer Night’s Dream", the word "bedroom" first came up. This word is used almost daily by everyone in different ways such as “Go to your bedroom!” or “Clean up your bedroom!” or “Get out of my bedroom!” Obviously that word stuck very easily and became a word in every day language. I bet that you don’t know what word I am going to use next. "Bet", which means to wager; to place money on an event’s outcome. It was first used in Henry IV Shakespeare used the word bet in saying “John a’ Gaunt lov’d him well, and betted much money on his head.”
Shakespeare didn’t just make everyday words such as bedroom and bet, he also made a very disgusting word that just by saying of it makes me want to puke. Puke, to vomit. Also according to McQuain, In “As You Like It” Jaques gave his famous, "All the world is a stage speech," and his says that the first act is as an infant “Mewling and puking in the nurses arms.” "Puke" is a very strong and vile word that is used to describe an infant (so Shakespeare says) or it is used to describe somebody ill or revolting; and isn't used that often in every day language. You know when you face turns red because you are embarrassed? That is another word made by Shakespeare, "blushing". First used in the play Venus And Adonis, to blush means to become ruddy or to have your face redden with modesty or shame. Now a days it is used to describe someone's face after seeing the boy or girl they love or after being embarrassed, but that was originally coined by Shakespeare.
There are many words that Shakespeare came up with that if I tried to recite them all, I would be here for days. The ones i just described to you are the words that I believe are used the most in every day language. Shakespeare originated so many different, interesting words from blushing to puke that you are astonished with all of them. Without Shakespeare none of these words would exist, so we could never use the term, coined by Shakespeare.
HOW DID SHAKESPEARE IMPACT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE? WHAT ARE NEOLOGISMS, AND WHAT NEOLOGISMS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO SHAKESPEARE? WHAT NEOLOGISMS COME FROM DREAM? HOW DID SHAKESPEARE CHANGE AND GROW ENGLISH? Answer Prepared by Jason Carlson
Coined By Shakespeare
When you hear a word, don’t you ever wonder where the birthplace of the word is? According to Jeffrey McQuain in the book Coined By Shakespeare, many of the words you hear were coined by Shakespeare. Shakespeare made words called, neologisms. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. An example of a neologism is the word birthplace in the play "Coriolanus", one of his less known plays. In one of the most famous of his plays, "Mid Summer Night’s Dream", the word "bedroom" first came up. This word is used almost daily by everyone in different ways such as “Go to your bedroom!” or “Clean up your bedroom!” or “Get out of my bedroom!” Obviously that word stuck very easily and became a word in every day language. I bet that you don’t know what word I am going to use next. "Bet", which means to wager; to place money on an event’s outcome. It was first used in Henry IV Shakespeare used the word bet in saying “John a’ Gaunt lov’d him well, and betted much money on his head.”
Shakespeare didn’t just make everyday words such as bedroom and bet, he also made a very disgusting word that just by saying of it makes me want to puke. Puke, to vomit. Also according to McQuain, In “As You Like It” Jaques gave his famous, "All the world is a stage speech," and his says that the first act is as an infant “Mewling and puking in the nurses arms.” "Puke" is a very strong and vile word that is used to describe an infant (so Shakespeare says) or it is used to describe somebody ill or revolting; and isn't used that often in every day language. You know when you face turns red because you are embarrassed? That is another word made by Shakespeare, "blushing". First used in the play Venus And Adonis, to blush means to become ruddy or to have your face redden with modesty or shame. Now a days it is used to describe someone's face after seeing the boy or girl they love or after being embarrassed, but that was originally coined by Shakespeare.
There are many words that Shakespeare came up with that if I tried to recite them all, I would be here for days. The ones i just described to you are the words that I believe are used the most in every day language. Shakespeare originated so many different, interesting words from blushing to puke that you are astonished with all of them. Without Shakespeare none of these words would exist, so we could never use the term, coined by Shakespeare.
Neologisms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neologism
Bibliography
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummers Night's Dream. Washington: Washington Square Press, ix-xlviii. Print.
McQuain, Jeffrey. Coined By Shakespeare. Springfield: Merriam Webster, 1998. ix-xlviii. Print